By the grace of Apollo
by Mandylor Mirage
Summary: My story on what should have happened in Troy. Briseis was desperate to be with Achilles again, and made a deal with Apollo. But can she endure his tests to get what she wants, even if Achilles is there to help her?
1. In the arms of the enemy

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of either the movie Troy or of the book.  
  
After seeing Troy I suddenly got the urge to write a story of Achilles and Briseis' relationship. I read the book a while ago and was satisfied with the ending, it was after all a Greek tragedy..( But after seeing the movie I felt a little dissatisfied with the ending, I guess I'm really a sucker for happy Hollywood endings.. This is why I wanted to write an alternate ending to it. This doesn't mean I didn't like the movie version, because I did, just wanted to continue everything.  
  
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Chapter one  
  
In the arms of the enemy  
  
_"Who will take her first?"  
_  
The loud male voice roared with the bonfire on the Trojan sand, but was almost drowned in the sound of the Greek soldiers laughs. Briseis felt a chill flow down her spine as the muddy soldier brought his hand to her hair, grasping a handful and pulling her head backwards. She was not accustomed to such brutal treatment, having always being treated as a part of the Trojan royalty she belonged to. As someone who took pride in being an educated woman, she knew there was no point in fighting back; she was greatly overpowered by the soldiers. But the urges to defend herself grew stronger by every touch of the filthy, lusty Greeks around her.  
  
The Trojan woman brought her hand back too quickly for the men to take notice, and put all her strength into the blow. Though she instantly realised her mistake, a small hand like hers could hardly cause much damage to a grown man. And now she had made them much angrier.  
  
Briseis could see another, younger soldier approach her with some sort of brander, but proceeded to struggle against her attackers despite her growing fear. But as the branding tag closed in proximity to her neck, the hands that had been holding her let go, letting her fall to the ground. Someone had distracted the soldiers and was now wielding his sword to protect her. Briseis' eyes widened as she brought her gaze up to her 'protector'. Achilles. The man responsible for the destruction of the temple of Apollo, a place that had been such a large part of her life for so long. He and his men had ruthlessly desecrated the temple, killing every Trojan standing in their way, including the unarmed.  
  
Suddenly, Briseis could feel herself slipping out of consciousness. The strain of the day's events combined with the injuries she had sustained had taken its toll on her, and she could only faintly sense the arms lifting her up, carrying her into a nearby tent.  
  
As the arms that had carried her put her down on the ground she quickly roused from her unconsciousness. Briseis brusquely pulled away from the person who had carried her as realised it was Achilles who had brought her to the tent as well. Her mind was still quite clouded, and she could taste both blood and tears on her tongue. Brushing some dark curls away from her face in the new found silence caused by the presence of this Greek warrior, Briseis lifted her gaze a second time to see that the man before her did not carry the hatred in his eyes that she had expected of an infamous murderer such as him.  
  
Quite on the contrary they seemed to show concern instead. For whom she did not know, seeing it as highly unlikely it would be for her. But gazing intensely into her enemy's eyes she could see something there she had never seen in the eyes of anyone else. And though it was not enough to overshadow the anger she felt for the man, it felt strangely comforting.  
  
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I know this was just about the same as in the movie, but the next chapter will jump to end. This chapter was just the beginning, things will get more interesting in chapter to, I promise. Please read and review! 


	2. Be careful what you wish for

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Troy.  
  
And finally I post this chapter. I wrote it yesterday, but my computer swallowed and for a moment there I thought I had to write it again! But due to excellent computer skills, I found it. smirks.. Okay so my brother found it for me. But anyway. Some of these first chapters may be a little short, but I'm in the middle of final exams and don't really have a lot of time. But when I'm done with the exams I think I'll start posting longer chapters. I'm also trying to finish a story on fictionpress.com so I have more than one writing project (which you're all most welcome to review..heh) but this one will get the most of my attention I think.  
  
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Chapter two  
  
Be careful what you wish for  
  
The sound of the arrow flying past her and into her lover's ankle had scrambled her mind like a thunderstorm. As Briseis had looked up to see her cousin, Prince Paris of Troy, tighten the string of his bow to release another arrow, she had barely managed to run up to him, screaming for him to stop. But it was too late. In a fatal turn of events, another arrow bored itself into Achilles' chest. The next moment her whole world had started to whirl, and Briseis did not see clearly again until she felt his hands on both sides of her face, pleading her to leave with her cousin before it was too late. But Briseis had not been willing to see the logic in his plead, because if there was one thing she knew, it was that being apart from him would cause her much more pain than it would do her good.  
  
But her cousin had been persistent, and pulled her away from the only one she wanted to be with. And as she had run from him, she could feel a stinging pain in her chest, the pain of having her heart broken. War was the one thing more selfish than any other human invention, but this war, was the cruelest of all.  
  
The Trojan priestess of Apollo had not remembered the rest of her escape into 'freedom'; everything was a dark, unreadable haze. For days she lay still in her bed, not drinking or eating a thing. Every now and then a tear would roll down her cheek, but otherwise her face would remain emotionless. Still, even a fool could see she was hurting.  
  
Briseis feared sleep more than anything else, nothing was as bittersweet as finally seeing her lover again, only to wake up to the realisation that it was all a dream, and that she would never see him again. She would never feel him again. But despite her struggle, the haunted slumber succumbed her night after night.  
  
_[ "Do it"  
  
Briseis could feel the blood freezing in her veins as Achilles opened his eyes, staring into her own. She had almost dropped the blade she was holding to his throat just in surprise. The shock had scared her so much she could hardly utter a single word in return as she opened her mouth to reply.  
  
"Aren't you afraid?" Briseis knew she did not sound like the vicious killer she would need to scare him, but she couldn't seem to hate him, as she should.  
  
The truth was, she did not blame him for the war, she knew it was none of his fault. Nor did she blame him for her being a captive of the Greeks, if he had not protected her, who knows what they might have made her do. The truth was; she had just begun to realise that he really was her saviour.  
  
"Every man dies. What does it matter if it's today or fifty years from now?"  
  
"If I don't kill you, many others will die."  
  
"Many." The man lying in front of her seemed so unaffected, even though he was speaking of taking human lives.  
  
"Do it, kill me," the Greek warrior repeated in a calm and assertive voice.  
  
As Achilles had reached his arms up towards her, she tightened the grip on the blade she was holding, but loosened it again as he pulled her down towards him. She was cradled on top of him, one leg on each side, her entire body held flush against him by the strength of his arms.  
  
She was completely unprepared for his next move as he quickly rolled her over on her back, the sharp blade still held closely against his throat. She shuddered lightly as his lips met hers, and against all that seemed reasonable, she parted her them to welcome his passionately exploring tongue. The heated sensation in her body was growing, slowly breaking down her barriers. Achilles' hands roamed across her slender body, tugging at the fabric covering her skin. Briseis had been caught off guard, but welcomed these new, strange feelings and felt more at home in this man's arms than she had ever felt anywhere before.]_  
  
A stream of sharp light slowly moving across her face roused Briseis from her sleep, letting her yet another time come to the realisation that she was alone in bed, not entwined in her lovers arms as she had wished.  
  
For so long she had prayed to the Gods that they would let her be with him, but there had been no signs indicating the granting of her wish. For years she had been a faithful servant of Apollo, but now that she needed him the most, he wouldn't even talk to her. It was true what they said; the Greek Gods were fickle Gods to deal with. But if the Gods couldn't hear her pleading for her lover back when she was lying in bed, she would climb the highest mountain so that she could scream her demands to the Gods herself.  
  
Dropping out of bed faster than she had planned, her legs could barely hold her up, having not been used for several days. But that did not hinder Briseis in what she was about to do. Running out of the small tents where she had been sleeping, she headed for the highest mountain she could see.  
  
As she reached the top of the mountain she had to let herself stand still for a while to regain her breath. Her dress was dirty from the strain of the climb and her forehead almost dripping with sweat.  
  
Having regained her strength, she lifted her gaze to the sky. As she stood there, facing the bright blue sky all the memories came back to her, overwhelming her, letting the bitter tears stream down her face as she fell to her knees. Briseis stretched her arms out to the sky and shouted with all of her voice.  
  
"Please, I'll do anything!" The words were so hard to utter, but her determination was so much stronger than anything she had ever felt.  
  
"I want him back, I need him back!"  
  
Briseis finished her desperate plea and let her arms fall to her sides, tears streaming freely. But what happened next was something she had not anticipated. A light so strong it was blinding flashed before her, making her cover her eyes with her hands. And as she heard a man's voice behind her Briseis widened her eyes in shock.  
  
"Be careful what you wish for"  
  
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My gratitude forever to the one who can give me the exact lines of the scene when Briseis tried to kill Achilles, so that I can write it correctly. I have the memory capacity of a gold fish (approximately 30 seconds) so I sort of just guessed. But since it's a key scene in this chapter I want to write it correctly..  
  
And I'm sorry if the sex scene sucks, but I'm not used to writing that so I sorta stopped it where the movie did (maybe a little bit before?:)) Thought I'd try to uphold that PG-13 rating:)  
  
Thank you so so so much all the people who reviewed my story! I almost got more reviews for this first chapter than everything I have ever written on fictionpress.com.. Heh, loved that:) 


	3. The messenger of Apollo

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Troy or the song 'Two for tragedy' by Nightwish.  
  
Thanks to all who guessed who had said the last line in the previous chapter, someone even suggested Achilles, which I hadn't even considered myself. (Good idea, but not what I had planned on ()  
  
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"I want him back, I need him back!"  
  
Briseis finished her desperate plea and let her arms fall to her sides, tears streaming freely. But what happened next was something she had not anticipated. A light so strong it was blinding flashed before her, making her cover her eyes with her hands. And as she heard a man's voice behind her Briseis widened her eyes in shock.  
  
"Be careful what you wish for"  
  
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Chapter three  
  
The messenger of Apollo  
  
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Turning as fast as she could; Briseis was surprised to be staring into thin air, there was nothing more there than what had been there before, and she was left quite puzzled. She had expected to see the man that the voice belonged to.  
  
"What are you lookin' for there?"  
  
Briseis let out a gasp of surprise as she felt a man hovering over her shoulder, his light-hearted, almost whispering voice directed straight into her ear. Turning around again she saw a rather strange-looking man, no taller than herself, floating by the edge of the mountain cliff. Briseis tried to mask her surprise as she brought her gaze downwards only to notice the fact that his shoes had wings. Unaware of her clear failure in seeming unaffected, she was equally surprised to see the man's face become rather annoyed.  
  
"You stare any harder an' you eyes'll pop out, I'll tell you that. " The strangers voice was dripping with sarcasm.  
  
Briseis was not in the mood for sarcasm and blurted out the respond before she could even think about what she was doing.  
  
"Well, it's not everyday I see a man floating on winged shoes, is it?" The man looked a bit baffled by her respond, and during his hesitation she quickly got to her feet, pulling away from the stranger.  
  
"Who are you?" Briseis asked suspiciously, though she was quite sure she had figured that out by now.  
  
"Oh, such ignorance!" The man brought his hands to his chest in a melodramatic manner, clearly trying to seem offended.  
  
"A girl of your stature not even recognising the mighty god Hermes!"  
  
Feeling quite self confident, Briseis allowed herself to continue the questioning of the Greek god standing before her.  
  
"And why are you here? I remember specifically requesting the presence of Apollo here, not some messenger with winged shoes.." She knew perfectly well she was stretching it, but was willing to take that chance in order to get what she wanted.  
  
"Ah, here we go again then.." Hermes started making small circles around the mountain cliff, gesticulating heavily as he continued.  
  
"I kill Argos, the biggest pain in Zeus' back, I aid Priam through the battlefield to his dead son Hector for a proper burial, I teach people everything they need to know to become civilized, like weight and scales an' all that, but still.. Do people notice the great work of the magnificent Hermes? No.."  
  
Briseis regretted ever going down that path and tried to stop his ranting, but eventually realised that she should let him finish. She saw no need to upset him further.  
  
"They want to see Zeus, or Apollo or some of the other, 'more powerful' Gods." Hermes' voice had lowered noticeably in the end and he had now stopped his gesticulation, and was sitting quite still on the mountain cliff. His head was placed in his hands, and he looked gloomier than all the doomed men of Hades combined.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just need someone with enough power to help me get Achilles back." Briseis was genuinely sorry for hurting him, she had never intended on hurting the one sent to help her.  
  
Almost instantly after Briseis finished her apology, Hermes was back on his feet, assertively pulling the Trojan priestess with him. After getting her up on her feet, he pulled away from her, reached his arms out and stared intensely at her.  
  
"Apollo is not the only one who has powers," Hermes said calmly while concentrating on the task ahead.  
  
Before Briseis even had the time to consider the situation and what was going on, the same ray of light that had surrounded her before was being sent towards her yet again. As the light touched her, it consumed her fully, and as she could regain her senses, she realised that she was no longer standing on the mountain cliff. She was inside a tent, hovering above ground and looking down on.. herself.  
  
_Sleep  
  
My fallen son  
  
Slumber in peace  
  
The tears cascaded freely down Briseis' cheek as she heard the cheering of the men outside, and the sounds of a chariot approaching. She knew what it meant. Her lover had returned from his mission to kill.  
  
Cease the pain  
  
Life is just in vain  
  
For us to gain  
  
Nothing but all the same  
  
And as her lover returned, she knew his mission had succeeded. She knew Hector was dead. The great warrior that was the prince of Troy, her cousin and her friend was dead.  
  
Beneath the candle bed  
  
Two saddened angels  
  
In heaven, in death  
  
Even in my pride  
  
I never blamed you  
  
Never before had she had so many conflicted emotions inside her. No matter what the outcome of the battle would have been, she knew she would have wanted it to end differently. This war had taken so much from her, and yet she knew it was just the beginning.  
  
One light  
  
For each undeserved tear  
  
Beneath the candle bed  
  
Two souls  
  
With everything yet to be said  
_  
As Briseis returned to find she was once again standing on the mountain cliff, salty tears were pouring down her face again. Seeing that had brought back so many memories.  
  
"I was sent here by Apollo to give you the opportunity so see Achilles again."As she lifted her gaze to Hermes, she could see the look of concern in his eyes.  
  
"But how?" It was all Briseis managed to say in between silent sobs.  
  
"You will join him in the Underworld, the domain of Hades, but not as dead." Hermes straightened himself up, trying to look more important for the message he had been ordered to give the loyal priestess of Apollo standing before him.  
  
"But I'm mortal. I can't go into the Underworld." Briseis stared into the gods eyes, with a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"No. But nymphs can."  
  
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I took some freedom in creating the personality of Hermes, but if you think he sounds too 'Disney', then I'll change it. And I took the winged shoes from Disney, hadn't planned on it, but that's just the way it turned out.. (Even though I hated that film for being so inaccurate to the facts, I mean Hera and Zeus as a happily married and nauseatingly cheery couple?) I had to brush up on my knowledge of Greek Mythology, so the work I did before writing this chapter took longer than actually writing it. But if I have gotten some of it wrong, let me know and I will correct it. I can't improve if you don't tell me what I'm doing wrong. I have 'interpreted' some of it to make it fit into this story, hope you don't mind..:)  
  
Thank you Julieanna for giving me the lines of the scene! (Yeah, know what you mean about the aah, Brad Pitt:)) Also thank you so so much: Penny Lane 1776, Achilles-lover, Lulu43, Jayma (for reviewing twice, thanx!), Holli, FirienInuyasha, Caz, Donna Lynn, Limegreenlion, Stephanie, Lisa Midnight Oceans (cool pen-name:)), elvenprincess17-imladris, feenian, Mrs.M (thanks for two great reviews!), Rivka Leah (your review was really motivating for me to continue!), BlueAngel, Nikki Staggerwall, SabrinaYutsuki, Suzy, Rouge- 2004, blueruler, bluesywisdom, fantasy4, CiCi, x-leiQ, Binx(For two reviews from you as well!!), Kaydee (Nope, not Achilles, though that was a good idea, maybe I should build something on that..:), Mina, nap-003 and Ack!! For taking the time to review my story!! I'm forever grateful! 


	4. The prophecy of Themis

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, just write for fun, not for profit, and so on...  
  
Yup, I'm updating really slow, I know. And I sorta feel like it's a bit boring. So if anyone have any ideas of how the story should go, I would be very grateful to hear your ideas!

Kinda short chapter as well, and not really a lot of Achilles in it (not any, actually), but its getting there, just wait..:)  
  
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"But I'm mortal. I can't go into the Underworld." Briseis stared into the gods eyes, with a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"No. But nymphs can."  
  
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Chapter four  
  
The prophecy of Themis  
  
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"What do you mean?" Briseis could hardly believe what she was hearing. The thought that she might get to see Achilles again was clouding her judgement and she would have gladly have said yes to anything to be with him.  
  
"You want Achilles back, don't you? Well, Apollo is granting you that wish." Hermes grinned widely at her before continuing.  
  
"But since not everyone can enter the Underworld as they please, your only choice is to become someone who _can_"  
  
"But I can't _become_ a nymph... I mean..." Briseis flicked her eyes self consciously to her feet before carefully continuing. "You have to be born one. Don't you?"  
  
"Anything is possible for the Gods, dear Briseis. Haven't you learnt that by now?" The playful look Hermes sent her was quickly replaced by concern.  
  
"But there are some terms. You must realise that you can never become mortal again." The god approached Briseis, before turning around to face the clear blue sky.  
  
"And I have another thing to tell you." Suddenly Briseis became worried about what he was about to say, he didn't sound as playful as he had done before.  
  
"Years ago, a woman named Thetis was desired by the great Zeus himself. She was a very beautiful nymph, a Nereid to be exact, one of the fifty daughters of the Mediterranean Sea. But the goddess Themis revealed to him that she was fated to bear a son who would become mightier than his father. Zeus feared this prophecy, and instead gave the Nereid to the mortal Peleus." Hermes turned around to face Briseis, who was listening to the god with great interest. Relieved to see he hadn't lost her in the complicated story, he continued.  
  
"Thetis bore a child not to long after their wedding, and the boy was named Achilles." Hermes stared intensely into the woman's eyes to see the revelation dawn on her.  
  
"That was why he was such a great warrior. His mother was a nymph." Briseis seemed relieved to have received this information and smiled to the god standing before her.  
  
"And that's not all," Hermes continued.  
  
"Thetis tried many times to make her son immortal like her, but she never succeeded. Though one time, when Achilles was just a child, she brought him to the river Styx and dipped him into the water, holding him by his ankle. It made his entire body invincible. Except from his heel."  
  
Briseis looked quite baffled by all the information she had just received, but after staring down on her feet for a while, she turned to Hermes and brought her hands out to his.  
  
"If becoming a nymph is what I need to do to see Achilles again, then I will do it. Please Hermes..."  
  
Before she had even completely finished her sentence, an overwhelmingly bright light surrounded Briseis for the second time that day, and she could again feel a peculiar feeling flowing through her body. But this time it was different. She couldn't see her lover, her soul mate. In fact she couldn't see anything other than the light. But she could feel... the world spinning in and out of focus for a while, before she finally came back to consciousness.  
  
"What...happened?" Briseis brought her hands to her head and let them cover her eyes. Her world was spinning so fast she felt like she would fall down any minute. Then she realised that she was already sitting on the ground, wearing a dress she had never seen before in her life. The light blue, thin fabric stuck to her body covered in cold sweat. It felt like she had awoken from a nightmare.  
  
Briseis quickly got to her feet and looked around, her gaze widening when she realised she was in some sort of cave, lit by hundreds of candles. The sand beneath her told her she was at a beach, and she could feel the cold salt water if she dug into it with her foot.  
  
'Where am I?' She thought to herself before panic started to consume her thoughts. Briseis shouted out loud for the God that had aided her this far, sincerely hoping that he hadn't just left her there.  
  
"Hermes?!"  
  
"Hermes isn't here, dear Briseis."  
  
The sound of the gentle woman's voice didn't frighten her as much as Hermes' voice had done the first time she had heard it. The time she had been consumed by the light of the Gods. Briseis carefully turned around to face it, only to see a woman smiling at her.  
  
"Welcome Briseis. I'm Thetis."  
  
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I know, it sounds a bit like a history lesson, but I felt I should give the background of Achilles and his mother. And it also shows why I wanted Briseis to become a nymph. Thank you to everyone who took the time to review!:) Binx (You've reviewed all of my chapters and I'm soo grateful, thanx!!), Achilles- Briseis (Thank you for the great review, I was really encouraged by it!), Dizzy izzy (Loved your review! But sorry, no purple Briseis:)lol..) Delia (thanx!), romancenpassiona, shallow tears, shfuen, Lisa Midnight Ocean (Don't think you'll like my story if you don't like cliffies...lol), lili, XqUsItE ChErRy, Lady Bulma Ishtar, shinning laurel, lili, OrliNKeira.


	5. The maze of Aglyphia

A/N: So so so sorry about the delay in posting this chapter! I just moved back home to my parents for the summer, and their computer always has a breakdown if you just stare too much at it. Ugh, really hate 'modern' technology sometimes. I've been really stressing to post this chapter so I hope you appreciate it!  
  
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Chapter five  
  
The maze of Aglyphia  
  
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"Welcome Briseis. I'm Thetis."  
  
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Briseis instantly saw a great resemblance to Achilles in the woman standing before her. She was an aging woman, but still very much beautiful, the most striking of her features being her hair cascading down her shoulders. Briseis self-consciously brought a hand to her own hair, which hadn't been washed for days, and could nearly not get her fingers out trying to straighten out the stubborn, messy tangles in it.  
  
Suddenly small cough echoed weakly through the cave and brought Briseis' attention to another man's presence- someone who seemed vaguely familiar.  
  
"If I may interrupt this moment of gawking awkwardly at each other," the man said dignified.  
  
"Then I would like to introduce myself. I am Dionysus."  
  
The former Trojan priestess instantly recognised the man she had heard so many stories of. The mighty God of wine, agriculture and fertility of nature. Dionysus  
  
The God did not linger in continuing his speech directed to Briseis in a very effective manner.  
  
"I was sent here to give you your orders, tell you what you must do to be able to be with your.. departed lover again."  
  
Though Briseis knew the granting of a wish like this wouldn't come without having to give something back, she was still caught off guard and began to worry if the task she was about to receive would be too much for her to handle. But disregarding the woman's worried expression, Dionysus once more continued.  
  
"Apollo has long been having some difficulties with the goddess Hera. It seems that she has stolen a very precious artifact from him, I don't know I you've heard of the Aglyphian necklace?" Briseis carefully shook her head as Dionysus turned to face her.  
  
"Well anyway, the necklace has the power to grant one wish to the one in possession of it. Hera stole it from him after they got into a row, and now she won't let him get it back. This is where you come in, Briseis."  
  
The direction Dionysus' story was taking did not seem promising to scared woman he was addressing, but Briseis tried non the less to conceal her fears.  
  
"It seems Hera has created some sort of maze around the necklace. One that only mortals can enter. Your task will be to get this necklace from the maze, and in return, Apollo will allow you to use it once. To grant your wish of becoming a nymph so that you can live together with your Achilles once more."  
  
Briseis' mind was so confused by all the information she had been given, but most of all she was afraid. What if she couldn't retrieve this necklace for Apollo, what would happen to her then? But before she could take her trail of thoughts any further, Thetis stepped out of the shadows of the cave to reach her hand out to Briseis.  
  
"And this is where I come in, dear Briseis," Thetis said, smiling gently at her.  
  
"I will be your guide on this journey should you experience too much difficulties. And remember: Hera will attempt anything to make your quest unsuccessful, so be aware."  
  
"But-"Dionysus pointed his finger to the sky, frowning his brow in a strict schoolteacher-like manner before he continued. "There is an upside to all of these tasks. You will not be performing them alone."  
  
The next turn of events had caught Briseis completely off guard, it had happened so fast. The ground beneath her had started to shake faintly, like a small earthquake. Simultaneously both Dionysus and Thetis had disappeared into thin air. Then she had started to sink. Her instinct had told her to grab for anything she could hold on to, and suddenly she found herself hanging from a mountain cliff, so high above solid ground the trees below looked like tiny, green flowers. But what ultimately caught her attention was the fact that there was another person clinging on to the mountain cliff right next to her. Achilles.  
  
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A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviewers who took the time to read my story even though there are so many great stories posted on this site! And sorry Bebiixstarr and Field of view, I didn't leave your names out purposely in the last chapter, I just forgot. (I really wasn't kidding when I said I had the memory capacity of a gold fish.) So I'm thanking you twice as much this time! Continuing to list the names of all my reviewers because I think anyone who is willing to take the time to review my story deserves all the attention they can get! Lady Bulma Ishtar, Dizzy Izzy (great ideas! I'll be using some of then later on in the story) Penny Lane 1776, Mrs. M (love your reviews, so uplifting!) Binx (thank you!) Lisa Midnight Oceans, Shorty51, Nora17 (hmm, just wondering: are you Swedish? Just not so many people who write 'hej' in any other countries:)) Cassie, NightbirdSongbird (My story is only partially true to the movie, however much it slaughtered everything in the Iliad, but thanks for the information) Bunny Bunz, OrliNkeira, Seishi Sairensuno, Achilles is HOT. 


	6. Reassurance

Disclaimer: Oops, think I've forgotten this a couple of chapters, please don't sue! I don't own the Iliad or the movie Troy. There. Said it:)  
  
A/N: Got total writers block, so this chapter took a really long time to post, and I'm really really sorry! But I hope you like this chapter:)

¤¤¤¤¤Chapter sixReassurance¤¤¤¤¤The next turn of events had caught Briseis completely off guard, it had happened so fast. The ground beneath her had started to shake faintly, like a small earthquake. Simultaneously both Dionysus and Thetis had disappeared into thin air. Then she had started to sink. Her instinct had told her to grab for anything she could hold on to, and suddenly she found herself hanging from a mountain cliff, so high above solid ground the trees below looked like tiny, green flowers. But what ultimately caught her attention was the fact that there was another person clinging on to the mountain cliff right next to her. Achilles.¤¤¤¤¤"Grab onto the other ledge, Briseis!" Achilles' voice was strained from clinging on for his life, but still determined and he did not seem as confused by their current situation as she was. "Hurry, we do not have much time!"  
  
Obeying her lover's orders, despite all her emotions in turmoil just telling her to reach over and touch him, Briseis got a more firm grasp of the ledge, and with the help of Achilles she managed to pull herself up. Shortly after, Achilles' sun-bleached head of hair appeared over the ledge.  
  
For a moment, she could do nothing but stand there; the surroundings and the trouble lying ahead had vanished from her mind as she stared in disbelief at the man standing before her. He had now got to his feet and was staring at her with an unfamiliar look in his eyes; Briseis assumed it was happiness, relief... love? It was not the way she was used to seeing him; he looked so free, like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. The clothes that she was used to seeing him in, and any other sign of the war was gone. He was dressed in azure blue, accentuating his lean body and his muscles, and Briseis noted that the resemblance to the Greek Gods was striking.  
  
For a moment they stood like this, savouring the moment and growing accustomed to the sight of each other again. But Achilles did not wait much longer to fill the space between them to feel the touch of her again.  
  
All her feelings exploded into flames as his mouth covered hers, entrapping her in a powerful kiss. Her senses were clouded and her entire body was yielding to his every move. He was back; he was actually alive. The initial fears she had felt were completely gone, and all that was left was an overwhelming and most definitely welcomed feeling of relief.  
  
As Achilles hesitantly pulled back for a breath of air, Briseis stood there still; choking on the words she so desperately wished to utter. And after a moments silence, she had finally mustered up the strength to say them out loud.  
  
"I thought..." Briseis let her hands cup his cheeks as a final reassurance that he was actually there. "I thought I had lost you." Tears were pressing hard on her and she could no longer hold them back.  
  
"I know," Achilles said soothingly, tightening his already firm grasp around her waist to better feel the presence of her body.  
  
"I thought I'd never see you again as well," he said, letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.  
  
"Thought I'd never feel your warm skin against mine never again," Achilles said in nothing more than a whisper, warming her neck. He moved one of his strong hands carefully over her tanned shoulder, smiling gently as Briseis shuddered lightly under his caress.  
  
Bringing his other hand to her neck, gently massaging a knot, which had no doubt been caused by the all that she had endured the past days, Achilles marvelled at everything she had gone through to be with him. But even now, he knew it would never last. The Gods had separated them for a reason, and this reunion they had shared, was nothing more than teasing coming from the sides of those who ruled the universe. They just loved making mortals squirm under their grasp.  
  
He wanted to be with Briseis more than he'd ever thought possible. But he knew that he would be holding her back if he did; it would only cause her pain and unnecessary grief. They were not meant to be together, he proved that when he took his last breath of air, his body filled with the arrows of her cousin. When Paris had aimed that last arrow at him, he had known that his time had come. That there was nothing Briseis or anyone else could do about it. He had been a warrior. A warrior by heart, mind and soul. And every warrior must die eventually. He was not inclined to a happy ending either, his whole life had been so closely connected and carefully woven around Greek tragedies that there had never been a doubt in his mind that his life would end in one.  
  
He had been so ready for all these things. And then she had shown up. Bound to a tent post, grimy and dirty, she had denied his every approach to clean her, all in the interest of keeping her dignity intact. He had been her enemy from the very first start. She had hated him, he knew that, her detest for him was clear in her eyes. But there was a thin line between love and hate.  
  
And he knew now that he loved her. So maybe there could be a future for them after all? She was here, after all, wrapped in his arms. And that was more than he could have ever hoped for, and if having her with him meant that he could feel as he had done only moments ago as she had looked into his eyes, he would risk anything to make her achieve her goal.  
  
The sound of some rocks falling from the cliff they had just been clinging on to, brought the couple back to reality as they let go of their embrace and took in account their surroundings. The cliff they had been hanging on, pointed to the fact that they were probably on some sort of island, only what was beneath the cliff was not water – it was clouds. They were on Mount Olympus.  
  
Turning around, Briseis noticed a large, stonewall – so high and spread so far that they could not see beyond it – divided in two by a massive, wooden door. Focusing her eyes on the door, she could see an inscription on top of it.  
  
_The Maze Of Aglyphia_   
  
She abruptly turned to Achilles, getting ready to apologise for her behaviour the last days, and the outcome of it all. 'What a mess she had gotten them both into,' Briseis thought regretfully. But before she could even open her mouth, Achilles had started speaking.  
  
"I know," he said reassuringly. "We've got a lot ahead of us. And the Gods are not expecting our success – but I know that if anyone can do this, it would have to be you."  
  
Briseis was surprised that he knew about it, but then again, she did assume at least someone would have already told him why he got pulled out of the Underworld to join his former lover on some quest doomed from the start.  
  
Achilles had turned to Briseis at this last statement, and was looking deeply into her eyes. Eventually he broke the eye contact, nudging her forward to the door. A bit involuntary, she started taking small steps forward – the sight of the massive door, and the fact that her whole future was literally awaiting her, was intimidating.  
  
As she finally reached the door, she noticed that it was getting darker, and put up the pace. As Briseis put her hand on the wooden door, it opened slowly, a stunning view in itself.  
  
The view that met them on the inside was a little more disappointing, considering the scale of the door, and the walls surrounding it. A forest resided inside the 'fortress', but a beautiful one at that. Before fully entering the forest there was a path headed North, and a sign standing beside it.  
  
__

_'Trust the Sun to guide your way to hidden treasures - _

__

_But beware the perils of Darkness'  
_

As Achilles had finished reading, he turned to Briseis who was now gazing intently towards the sun, which was about to set.  
  
"We should stay here until the sun comes up. I'll collect some firewood for the night." He only got a distant nod in return, but found it satisfactory, it wasn't many times he had seen her so relaxed. But his mind was more worried than he was letting on. The sign just seemed a little too obvious. Never before had Hera actually helped mortals to achieve their goal. He knew the sting of Hera's wrath would be more painful than anyone could imagine. However they had no choice but to trust the sign, there was no other way to retrieve the necklace that he knew of. Achilles became more at ease thinking of the necklace, and what it would mean for them to get to it. Briseis could be with him, forever.  
  
"This was never a part of my mother's prophecy, someone willingly following me into the Underworld if need be, just to be with me." Achilles stated while picking up some logs, more to assure himself that it had really happened, that someone had actually cared that much for him. But Briseis mistook his words, believing that she had somehow interrupted what was planned for him. And it hurt, thinking that he blamed her for dragging him out of the Underworld for 'her own, selfish reasons.'  
  
"Well, I never meant to disrupt your destiny,"she said icily, trying to get back at him for hurting her with his remark.  
  
"I guess as long as people remember your name you don't even care what happens to anyone else. Well I didn't come here to ruin anything for you, and I apologise if I have done so," Briseis said, trying to make herself sound as cruel as possible.  
  
Achilles stared at her in disbelief. A part of him wanted to clear out the misunderstanding, but the other wished to hurt her for believing he could do such a thing. That all he cared about was making his name known, nothing else mattered.  
  
"So then why did you come here?" he spat, his voice more icy than he had planned.  
  
"I knew I had to die, that was always my destiny. Everything was always planned, right before you came. I died a hero, just as my mother's prophecy foretold. I am still a hero." He stated briskly while gesturing to himself.  
  
"People will remember my name in all the years to come. There was no mention of you in these prophecies. Nor will anyone remember your name after you die..." Achilles knew he was being harsher than he needed, but his emotions were in such turmoil, and he just wanted to hurt her, like she had with her un-thoughtful remark.  
  
"I would have died had I not been able to see you again!" Briseis could not see anything in front of her but a blurry version of her enraged lover; her eyes had become too full of tears.  
  
"Then why didn't you?!" Achilles' eyes became instantly milder as he realised his mistake, but that could not take the sting out of what he had just said. 'Damn,' he thought to himself. He had not meant what he had said; he had just been so baffled by all these new, unfamiliar emotions. Achilles had always been a warrior – mind, body and soul, and as a warrior he was used to hurting people physically, but hurting them in any other way was new to him.  
  
Briseis stood completely still for a moment, stunned by his words. It took a while for the words to completely sink in. And then she ran. 'To hell with all perils and dangers' she thought to herself. Anything would be better than staying there with him, feeling like a betrayed mistress. All the fears that had been lying in the back of her mind for a while suddenly surfaced, and Briseis came to the most hurtful realisation that it all had been a mistake.  
  
She was so caught up in her destructive thoughts that she didn't even notice the shadow that crept over her shoulder, or the shadowy, black hand reaching for her ankle.¤¤¤¤¤_"For in this way have the gods spun the thread for the wretched mortals, that they should live in pain; and themselves are sorrowless." - Achilles, the Iliad.  
_¤¤¤¤¤No, I actually don't have any myths to prove the fact that nymphs can go into the underworld; I'm taking freedom in my writing. And I'm sorry if everyone is out of character. That was never my intention, but it's hard to write someone in character when I've seen so little of them.  
  
I think someone asked me where I get my information from, which is . Great page, really helpful to me in my writing.  
  
Thank you so so much all reviewers!!! I'm forever grateful for you taking time to review this story!!:)  
  
And I really want to know what you think about this story, and luckily it's not that difficult! Just push that little review button (come on, you know you want to...;))and leave your opinions there!:) 


	7. When darkness falls

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything, not writing for profit, don't sue...:)  
  
A/N: I haven't really read _all_ the other stories that are Achilles/Briseis, but I know a lot of them have many similarities. So if my story starts to look exactly like another, tell me, ok? Well, I've come really far with this story; I mean 7 chapters is a lot for me. I usually write really short stories, but this has been really fun! So there are some chapters to come, but it's getting closer to the end now, at least according to my plans for the story plot.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Chapter seven  
  
When darkness falls  
  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
_She was so caught up in her destructive thoughts that she didn't even notice the shadow that crept over her shoulder, or the shadowy, black hand reaching for her ankle.  
_  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
In one sharp pull, the hand at her ankle yanked her off her feet, while the other slid across her face to cover her mouth. As it made contact with her skin, the only thing she could feel was an unpleasant cold, as if it was draining her skin from heat. She was filled with a deep disgust at the sensation, before panic overtook her emotions. Briseis tried desperately to scream, but what escaped her mouth was barely enough to convince _herself_ that she had made a sound.  
  
As another hand appeared, sliding up her stomach, reaching for her neck, she struggled even more desperately to escape, but to no avail. The hand had now gotten a firm grasp of her neck and was starting to squeeze. The grasp was growing increasingly tighter, and it was becoming harder to breathe. Moments later, Briseis' vision was blurring and her surroundings suddenly seemed so much... brighter. Had it not been for the unpleasantly cold hand at her throat, she would have almost felt strangely comfortable.  
  
Then she heard distant footsteps, and a vague vibration in the earth indicating a hasty approaching. 'Achilles' footsteps,' Briseis thought, a strong feeling of relief surging through her. She would have recognised those footsteps anywhere. He was running towards her holding a piece of burning firewood in his hand used as a torch, poised for action.  
  
But as he neared her further, she could see the hands holding her prison were starting to fade. 'They must be reacting to the light,' she thought. And by the time Achilled had neared her completely, the shadowy black hands had crept back into the forest, and her throat was relieved of the suffocating grasp.  
  
Throwing away the torch, Achilles descended by her side, lifting her head into the proper position for her to breathe. Coughing violently for a while, Briseis could finally feel her airways clearing up. There was no permanent damage done. _Physically at the very least._  
  
Hearing her breathing return to normal, Achilles lifted her further up, placing her firmly in his lap, both of them still breathing heavily. Despite her anger, his calming voice in her ear was soothing her, reminding her of her desperate need for human contact.  
  
And again, she lost control of her emotions and the tears were no longer held back. The things he had said, they were appalling! And they had made her so mad. But the things she said were just as bad.  
  
_Maybe she was just afraid of happiness.  
  
Maybe se was destined to live alone and miserable for the rest of her life.  
  
Maybe she did not deserve him.  
_  
It hurt to even consider the possibility that it might be true, but the reason for her stupidity did nothing to convince her otherwise. Why else would she be picking a fight with the man she loved, and desperately wanted to be with? For problems that did not even exist?  
  
"I'm sorry, Briseis," came a hushed apology from behind her back.  
  
After a long, silent moment, Achilles still rocking her slowly back and forth in his lap, came the muffled response.  
  
"I know."  
  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Achilles had stood there in the forest for a while, pondering on whether seeing Briseis at the moment would be a good idea. He was longing to take her in his arms and tell her that he was sorry, but maybe that wasn't the right thing to do at the moment. Considering what she had been through the last time, a little time apart would maybe do them some good. But then his mind shifted back to the sign; _'Beware the perils of darkness'  
_  
Briseis was out there all alone, unable to protect herself if anything should happen, and neither of them actually knew what they were up against.  
  
He decided to follow her, picking up her trail, and as his worries increased, so did his speed. Soon he was running, trying to find the way she had gone, holding a torch in front of him to light up the rough, wooden path ahead. Stumbling slightly on a stub, his thought trailed back to how Briseis could have found the way through the forest in complete darkness, when a warrior such as himself could hardly do it holding a torch.  
  
Then he had seen her. Lying on the groung, apparently being held down by some sort of hands, though he could not see whom they belonged to. A sting of fear ran through his body and made him involuntary slow down his pace momentarily, his worst suspicions had come through. Briseis was in danger, and it was all because of him.  
  
Seeing her, lying on the ground so defenceless, so weak, had reminded him of when he first met her. But this time, he had not _felt_ the same as then. Never before had he been so panicked, so frightened for another person's life and for a while he just stood there, stunned.  
  
A little voice inside his head that he had been trying to suppress for some time spoke to him.  
  
You love her, you fool. So much you can't even fight without being distracted. Imagine that, the great Achilles made weak by a woman.  
  
Then he pushed those feelings aside and rushed to her aid. He would never be weak, if anything; Briseis just made him stronger.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
They had made it back to the entrance of the maze to spend the night there. They were still not sure what had attacked Briseis in the forest, but Achilles was not willing to risk his lover's life trying to find that out.  
  
Hours after they had fallen asleep, Briseis was roused to consciousness by a hushed voice addressing her, and a finger prodding her hip.  
  
_"Wake up, Briseis, come on!"  
_  
Slowly, and almost painfully opening her eyes to total darkness, she could also barely notice someone moving slightly in front of her. But she only knew one person with such a recognisable voice.  
  
"Hermes?"  
  
Her voice was still slurred by sleep, but still louder than she would have intended it to be. Achilles stirred slightly at her side, but only tightened his grasp around her waist.  
  
_"Shh! Not so loud, it'll hear you!"_ Briseis' eyes had now adjusted to the darkness, and she could see her old friend in front of her, his features worried.  
  
_"You have to start now, you can't sleep any longer. It'll kill you both!"_ Hermes said, while speeding quietly around the area, getting what few things they had ready.  
  
_"Well, that is, he is already dead, but you know what I mean!"_ He murmured under his voice, but still loud enough for Briseis to hear.  
  
'Typical Hermes to make any situation into a joke' Briseis thought before realising the severity of his statement.  
  
"Kill us?" she said out loud, to silent protests from Hermes.  
  
_"But why? How?"  
_  
_"I came as soon as I heard her telling someone about the 'clues' she had been leaving out for you, and how she really didn't think you'd be stupid enough to fall for it..."  
_  
Briseis was not surprised at all to hear that Hera was playing with them, after all - the goddess was known for being the most devious of them all, so she motioned for him to continue.  
  
_"This isn't any ol' normal forest,"_ Hermes explained carefully, his whisper even lower than before.  
  
_"It's alive! Hera put a curse on it when she placed the necklace inside the maze, you know, to protect it. When the sun comes up, the forest will wake, and then ye'll never make it out of here alive!"  
_  
_"But the shadow creatures..."_ Briseis interrupted; cringing at the thought of those hands being anywhere near her ever again.  
  
_"That's the last of your worries, they're nothing compared to the forest!"  
_  
_"Now get out of here! You have to make it to the end of the forest by day- break, or Zeus knows what might happen!"  
_  
And then he was gone.  
  
¤¤¤¤¤  
  
Thanks so much for the reviews!!! Individual thanks here because I reeeally think you deserve it!!:) Baphomet, Mademoiselle Parfait, RC, Cassie89, StarAngel Caelum SunSoar, HentaiStar, Mrs.M, Yavannie, amal, Seishi Sairensuno, orliNkeira, Ace, PsychoSushi, KissFromARose14, MrsGeorgeWeasley, Nay, GoldenEcho7287, Trojans, Kelly, baphomet (again:)), danger-natnat, and Angel Gurl From Hell (for all the reivews:), I am forever grateful for you taking the time to review my story. 


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